Companies we love: The Base Project (and a Giveaway!)

Namibia is home to an expansive landscape, fantastical wildlife and thriving tribal cultures. Yet the nation is also plagued with many humanitarian issues: high rates of HIV infection, lack of quality education and work opportunities, shortages of fresh water and food.

The Base Project, founded by twin brothers Christopher and Doug Akin, hopes to alleviate some of these concerns with their community development and support the local communities of the Himba and Herero tribes. The Base Project works with local artisans to create beautiful fair trade bracelets made from upcycled water pipes. The bracelets come in 14 hand-carved designs that reflect the natural and living world of the tribes. The red and brown bracelets are the result of soil and sun exposure, and the black coloring is from the manufacturing processes. The Base Project offers a great example of what inspired economists call the Triple Bottom Line: a business model that focuses on people, planet and profit.

The triple bottom line of The Base Project: old water pipes are kept out of landfills, reused in ways that respect the local culture and support community development, and the community and company make money. Everybody wins!

fancy!

The Base Project has generously supplied Green Living Ideas with FOUR giveaway items for our awesome readers: three bracelets and one handmade bag from another collective in Ghana! Here’s how to enter: ‘like’ The Base Project on Facebook and tell us that you did so in the comments below; you get a bonus entry if you follow them on Twitter or Instagram too (just be sure to let us know)! That gives you a total three chances to win one of four giveaway items. Winner will be chosen via random number generator; contest begins today March 18 and ends March 25, midnight Hawaii time! Be sure to include contact information in your entry so we can contact you if you win. Good luck!

This giveaway is now closed! Congrats to Vaness, Sheila, and Karen!

image from Lei Chic

All images courtesy of The Base Project; except as noted (bag image from Lei Chic). Green Living Ideas was not compensated for this post; giveaway items are sponsored by The Base Project and handled by GLI.